


heartbeat

by thetr1ckster



Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa: Another Episode, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc
Genre: Awkwardness, Consensual Sex, F/M, First Time, How Do I Tag, Not Beta Read, Oral Sex, Porn with Feelings, Post-Canon, Smut, Togafuka - Freeform, Togafuka Week, Togafuka Week 2019, Vaginal Fingering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-09
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-07 12:57:43
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 10,917
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18411113
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thetr1ckster/pseuds/thetr1ckster
Summary: As employees of the Future Foundation's 14th Division, Byakuya Togami and Toko Fukawa are often assigned to travel to distant cities to discuss public relations with local communities in the wake of The Tragedy. While these long drives may seem tedious, it at least provides them with enough free-time to have Toko read out-loud to him.Some books are more... interesting than others.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Alternate titles include: "Togafuka Book Club," "It's Lit(erature)," and "Embarrassing Byakuya Togami in 10,000+ words."

“How long do you intend on making me wait?” Byakuya called from the open car window.

“Coming, Master!” A frantic Toko cried out as she stumbled out of the Future Foundation building, bags in hand, “Sorry for making you wai— Woah!”

Her modest heals clipped the uneven pavement the wrong way, sending her tumbling to the ground. Tossing her bags forward, she held out her hands to keep herself from completely smashing her face on the gravel.

Byakuya watched her descent with a sigh. While it did not personally affect him, he had to admit that the dress-code policy for Future Foundation’s female employees was unnecessary. No woman should be forced to wear heals and a skirt, especially someone as clumsy as Toko Fukawa.

As she sat up on her behind and attempted to regain her composure, Byakuya exited the vehicle and approached her. He grabbed up the bags had flung while she readjusted her glasses on her face.

"Are you alright?”

She blinked a few times, processing the question before smiling with a hint of blush to her cheeks, “Y-Y-Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for caring.”

Byakuya smirked, “Hm. Then, let’s go. We’re burning daylight.”

“Yes, Master!”

And with that, she rose to her feet on her own and began following her beloved to the car, claiming her seat on the passenger’s side while Byakuya placed her bags in the backseat. He took a seat on the driver’s side and buckled his seatbelt.

“I hope you showered,” He chimed in, inserting his key into the ignition.

“Yup, j-just like you told me to! W-W-Want to smell me?”

He held up a hand, “No. I… trust you.”

Ignoring the way she frowned beside him, he began to drive off to their destination.

Upon becoming an official Future Foundation member, she and Byakuya had gotten a lot closer. He had assigned her as his “assistant” and she often accompanied him on many different jobs, most of which required extensive travel to areas that may still be recovering from the Tragedy.

When their adventures together as Future Foundation employees began, Byakuya was adamant on informing her that he only requested her company just in case her special power might be needed, but she knew deep-down his real reason.

They had known each other for nearly ten years if you don’t count their lost school memories at Hope’s Peak. They had their ups and downs but now they were… friends. Not exactly where Toko wanted to be but it was a start. Soon enough, she was sure she’d be able to lure him in.

Today’s job was like many others. They had been assigned the task of meeting with members of a local government to discuss public relations and methods of developing unity amongst the community members in a distant city, a twelve-hour drive away.

Typically, long trips like these would require helicopter travel, but with so many of these types of assignments being spread throughout Future Foundation’s 14th division, sending employees to areas much farther than where they were going, they insisted on driving.

Luckily, it wasn’t like Byakuya despised Toko’s company, certainly not as much as he used to when they first met. Through the years, they had both changed.

The consequences of the Tragedy softened Byakuya (much more than he’d ever like to admit). As a result, he had become more tolerant of other people’s company: Makoto, Kyoko, Hina, Yasuhiro, and even Toko.

Speaking of Toko, while her love for him never died, she grew more self-confident with age. Her experiences in Towa City with Komaru taught her a thousand lessons that shaped her into the woman she is today, a stronger, selfless woman with complete control over her other personality.

While they still had their moments, they both were definitely different than who they were during the Killing School Semester.

Toko caught herself smiling more often.

They were _definitely_ friends.

“Did you bring the book?” Byakuya asked her. They had been driving in silence for nearly an hour and a half and his voice had managed to startle her.

“O-Oh, yeah. Just one second.”

And with that, she unbuckled her seatbelt and shifted in her seat to reach for her bag in the backseat. With her behind pretty much right in his face, Byakuya raised his eyebrows and pressed his foot lightly on the brakes.

“Here it is!’ She spoke cheerfully after rooting through her bag. She returned to her seat and secured her seatbelt once more.

Byakuya’s lips curled up into a hint of a smile.

No matter where they went or what job they were doing together, Toko always made sure to bring a book with her to read out loud to him. What started off as a way of keeping Byakuya’s mind active to avoid any driver’s fatigue turned into a pastime for the two of them.

Many of these books incited discussions between them, about characters, plot-lines, themes, anything pertaining to literature. At this point, they could probably fill a small bookshelf with the amount of novels they had read together.

With a quick lick to her fingertips, Toko opened up to a dog-eared page of the book she was holding and began reading, picking up where they had left off the last time she had read to him, the previous night alone in the library.

Byakuya exhaled, relaxing himself and just listened to her speak every word on the page with eloquence.

Despite her natural speaking voice containing a nervous stutter, her reading voice was quite smooth, almost soothing. Her diction was impressive and her use of tone and emotion made moments of character dialogue compelling and realistic, like an actress in a one-woman show.

This particular book’s genre was much different than many of the other books she had read to him. Often times, she would read books involving mysteries, horror, history, and even science fiction. However, at this point in the story, if Byakuya had to categorize it, he would call it “realistic fiction.”

It followed a nervous romance novelist on the hunt for inspiration to cure her of her writer’s block. A coming-of-age story where she looks to find a muse that will inspire her to write again, landing her back on the career-track before her reputation as a world-renowned author plummets.

The more Toko read, the more Byakuya was surprised to find himself rather invested in the plot’s development.

In their previous reading session, the protagonist Kanako had met a hard-headed business mogul named Hayata. Even though the two argued constantly, they were always together, to Byakuya’s dismay.

He waited for Toko to finish reciting a sentence before commenting on his displeasure, “I don’t understand why she continues to willingly interact with this man. He treats her horrendously.”

Toko cleared her throat, “P-Perhaps she’s drawn to him,” She answered, her stutter returning.

“Why?”

“Maybe h-he’s the muse she’s been looking for.”

“I suppose. I just don’t understand the logic behind their relationship.”

“M-M-Maybe they’re in l-love a-a-and they haven’t realized it yet.”

“Hmph. Foolish.”

Toko watched Byakuya’s profile for a moment and bit her lip before turning back to the book at hand and picking up where she left off.

Time continued to pass as she read. Pages and pages later, the tension between the two characters grew. Arguments that started off as petty gradually turned personal. Insults were slung left and right.

Byakuya swore, if he were in the protagonist’s shoes, he would have slapped the man and kicked him out of his house a while ago.  He was about to chime in his opinion when…

“ _’With a strong arm hooked around her waist, he pulled her body closer to his own and desperately caught her lips in his_.’”

Byakuya erupted into a fit of coughs at the unexpected turn of events, distracting Toko from the novel.

“M-Master! Are you okay?! Do you need some water?”

“I’m… f-fine. J-Just… Why are they _kissing_?” He asked incredulously.

“I-I mean… It appears they’re finally g-giving in to each other in the h-h-heat of the moment. D-Didn’t the tension-building make it o-obvious?”

“She should have smacked him, not _this_!”

“I’m s-sorry… Do you want me to stop? I can pick another book—“

“It’s no use. You know I’m not one to leave things unfinished. Just continue.”

And with that, she did as she was told.

The protagonist’s eyes were wide with shock as the man trapped her in his warm embrace. However, when her eyes fluttered closed and she sank into the kiss, Byakuya could feel the tips of his ears burning up.

“’ _He pinned her against the far wall and grabbed her by the wrists, holding her arms over her head._ ’”

The imagery flashed into Byakuya’s head. He imagined a man cornering a woman against a wall, gripping her arms up above her. With their lips never detaching, he pressed his hard— _hard_? Toko never mentioned he was…

Byakuya clenched his thighs together uncomfortably and listened to her as she read on.

“ _’With a mouth to her neck, he began to bite and nibble at the flesh of her skin, marking his territory. ‘You belong to me now.’_ ’”

With her voice dropping several octaves, Toko’s tone was soaked in sensuality. The dominant aura that accompanied the last statement rang through Byakuya’s ears, leaving goosebumps along his flesh.

Being the Ultimate Affluent Progeny, he was used to being a socially dominant figure. If there was anyone that should claiming ownership over another human being, it was him. So, why did hearing Toko Fukawa say that have such a strong effect on him?

Maybe he needed that water she offered after all. But not wanting to interrupt her again, he just sat quietly and suffered in silence.

The characters had now stumbled toward the bedroom and were in the process of undressing. However, their stripping process was constantly halted by each other’s compulsive need to touch and kiss each other.

_God, just get on with it already_!

Five agonizing minutes of reading later, they were finally nude. Byakuya was expecting them to begin partaking in intercourse when the Hayata had laid Kanako down. He began kissing down her body until…

“’ _Ahhh… fuck_!’” Toko actually _moaned_ the protagonist’s line as the man jutted his tongue forward and began licking the… _area_ between her legs.

Byakuya swallowed hard and snuck a glance at the woman seated next to him. With her eyes glued to the page, her chest rose and fell with every breath she took and her cheeks were flushed pink as her face screwed up beautifully with every sigh and whimper uttered by the protagonist.

Byakuya’s face burned.

Maybe this was his lack of knowledge about recreational sex speaking, but _why_?! His thoughts raced, creating panic within his mind. Why didn’t they just begin the conception? Why were they even doing something so… _unnecessary_? And god, why was he becoming so aroused by the erotic sounds coming out of Toko’s mouth?! _Why, why, WHY?!_

 He wanted to tell her to stop. He _should_ have told her to stop. With the way his body was reacting, he was increasing the likelihood of getting too distracted from the road, losing control of the vehicle, crashing, and killing the both of them… or coming in his pants. Either consequence, he thought, was equally bad.

But even though he knew of those consequences, why the fuck was he letting her continue?

“ _’Her back arched against the mattress as his tongue flicked over her clit. With tears stinging the corners of her eyes, she removed her hand from over her mouth to whine, ‘I-I’m gonna come… O-Oh—‘_ ’”

And with that, Toko released the most sinful strain of curses and groans Byakuya had ever heard. He almost wanted to take the book out of her hands and see if any of that was actually written, but he was already distracted enough by her body writhing beside him. The way her legs clenched and unclenched, the way her breasts bobbed ever-so slightly whenever she exhaled particularly hard, the way her lips shined with a light sheen of drool.

If this was her acting, what would she be like for real? God, he was tempted to pull over and find ou— _No! What am I thinking?! This is Toko!_

Before she could continue, he cleared his throat.

“I’m getting tired.”

He thanked god his voice sounded more calm and collected than he felt. He hoped she wouldn’t notice the way his tense legs restrained his very painful erection, or the way the color had completely drained from his face, or the way his knuckles turned white as a result of how hard he was gripping the steering wheel.

She looked at the radio clock then back at him, “It’s almost six, sh-should we stop?”

“Yes,” His eyes caught sight of a passing sign on the side of the highway they were driving on, “’Says there’s a motel off the next exit.”

“A-Alright,” She nodded meekly as she dog-eared the page.

Byakuya peaked over to look at the book right before she closed it and his heart sank to his stomach.

The chapter wasn’t even finished yet.


	2. Chapter 2

“Two rooms,” Byakuya outright demanded the woman at the front desk of the cheap motel he had driven them to.

“Sir, we only have one vacant room available.”

He scoffed, “Do you have any idea who I am? I am Byakuya Togami, Future Founda—“

His voice was cut off by Toko’s small hand curling around his bicep.

“Master, i-it’s okay, I’ll sleep on the floor,” She whispered, trying to calm him down.

When he looked back at her, her eyes were nervously looking elsewhere and her bottom lip was worried between her teeth.

Usually, he’d scold her for daring to interrupt him, but the way her hold on his arm felt made him feel warm. His pulse slowed and he let out a sigh before turning back to the concierge.

“I’ll…” He swallowed, “We’ll take whatever you have,” He muttered, reaching into his pocket and pulling out a decent amount of cash for one night while the woman handed them the key and told them where to go.

Once closed inside their motel room, exhaustion washed over Byakuya like a tidal wave. The dark dank room reeked of dust and poor people, but the boxy bed somehow looked comfortable in his tired eyes.

He dropped his bags and collapsed face-first into the mattress, the springs squeaking beneath him.

“W-Wow, Master…” She giggled, “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you so wiped out before,” Toko commented at the sight of her beloved splayed out on the bed like a starfish.

“Yesh… well…” He mumbled into the blanket.

“L-Like I said, y-you can have the bed. I’ll just take this chair over here,” She reiterated, taking a spot on the comfy chair in the corner of the room, “I-I mean, i-i-if you wanted to share the bed with me, I certainly w-wouldn’t mind.”

Byakuya lifted his head to rebuke the unsolicited flirt, “Absolutely not!” He snapped defensively, “N-Now, goodnight.”

She tilted her head, “Already? It’s only 6 o’clock. You’re still dressed and you haven’t even eaten—“

“I said goodnight, Toko,” He spoke with finality.

And so, Byakuya positioned his head on the lumpy pillows and laid facing away from Toko. However, no matter how much he tried, no matter how many sheep he counted, no sleep came to him. His mind was too full.

It was full of moving images of the protagonist twisting in ecstasy while the man licked between her legs. It was full of questions about what would happen next. Would the man be on the receiving-end of oral pleasure from the protagonist? Or perhaps she may use her hands instead, or maybe even both? Maybe Byakuya would wrap his hands around Toko’s throat and fuck her senselessly before she even had the chance to recover from her previous orgas—

“Master? Are you still awake?”

“I thought I said goodnight.”

“I-I’m sorry! It’s just… I can’t sleep.”

“I don’t see what that has to do with me.”

“I thought m-maybe I could read a l-little bit more… y-y-you know… until I got tired.”

The idea sounded like a huge mistake. Who knows how long Byakuya would be able to keep his composure if her heard any more of her… voice-acting.

Byakuya clenched his eyes shut and grit his teeth. He was Byakuya Togami. He was brilliant, powerful, and prestigious. He was stronger than some silly bout of sexual frustration. There was no way he was going to let someone as lowly as Toko Fukawa and her choice of novels get the best of him.

Or so he hoped.

“Fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, now do it before I change my mind.”

“Y-Yes, sir!”

Without turning around, Byakuya just listened to her. He could hear her shuffling about, her footsteps carrying her across the room, the sound of her unzipping her bag, followed by more footsteps. He heard her sit back down, the chair creaking under her light weight, as well as the familiar sound of pages turning. With single cough to clear her throat, she began to read again.

Luckily, the sex scene she was previously reading had paused momentarily as the two characters breathed together, taking a few seconds to relax after their previous excursion. This interlude gave Byakuya a little bit more time to prepare himself. He knew this chapter continued, he wanted to be ready for whatever came next so he didn’t completely lose himself in front of Toko.

Unfortunately, the wait wasn’t long enough.

Toko’s reading was relatively fast. He wondered if perhaps she was doing it on purpose, if she was quickly getting to the erotic parts like the dirty swine she was, just to torture him.

Before he knew it, it was the man’s turn. Kanako was now sitting up on her knees, hovering over Hayata and pressing hot kisses all along his tone chest.

“ _’His back arched off of the mattress when she latched her lips to his nipples and began to suck and lick at the sensitive bud_.’”

Byakuya clutched his chest defensively. _Odd_ , he thought. He never considered that any type of stimulation to a man’s nipples would be very enticing. He wondered if he would enjoy it.

As the woman worried love-bites to her lover’s torso, she made her way down his body with her mouth. Her fingers lightly tousled at the patch of hair above and around his member before hesitantly wrapping around the source of his aching.

“ _’With a few flicks of her wrist, she brought her lips to the head of his cock and licked experimentally at the pre-come that had gathered at the slit_.’”

Byakuya rarely ever pleasured himself. He always viewed erections as a nuisance to be quickly dealt with and promptly forgotten about. He was a busy man. He didn’t have time to worry about something as unnecessary as masturbation.

However, on the few occasions he had touched himself, his mind toyed with the idea of receiving oral sex. He discovered that the sheer idea of someone sucking on him down there was the quickest way to get the task done while his hand worked himself.

The person giving it to him in his fantasies was usually a non-descript woman. Her mouth was small, causing the feeling around his genitals to be tight, wet, and warm. To effectively achieve this, he usually licked his hand before gripping himself, paying particular attention to the head of his erection.

Within minutes, he usually finished the job and moved on with his life.

Be that as it may, at this moment, if he had the chance to touch himself, he imagined he wouldn’t be able to stop after his initial release, especially with the intrusive thoughts of Toko licking along the veins of his length flooding his head. With how uncomfortably hard he was, he could probably work himself to completion again and again and again and again--

“D-Did you say something?” Toko spoke directly to him.

“Wha—?” He croaked.

“I thought I h-heard you say something…”

“Well, I didn’t,” He blessed the fact that he was facing away from her, for his face was probably beat red. He hadn’t even heard himself moan over the combined sound of Toko reading and his heart beating in his ears.

Fortunately for him, she dropped the subject and continued reading.

With the man not being a very vocal character and the protagonist’s mouth being… well, full, there wasn’t a lot of dialogue during their current ordeal. Thank god, thought Byakuya. That meant he didn’t have to worry too much about Toko’s filthy moans, groans, and curses for a while.

The author’s use of imagery, however, was… a lot. Byakuya was able to picture everything, from the position to the very points of stinging pleasure felt by both parties.

Byakuya blushed. He can’t even imagine how much experience with intimacy this author must have had to be able to be this descriptive about it.

God, he could very easily picture himself like the man in the scene. It was bordering unbearable.

“ _’With one final hum vibrating from her tongue to his cock, his entire body jolted as he released himself into her mouth_.’”

Byakuya’s hand crept down to his crotch to tuck his erection between his legs. Eyes closed, he sighed a breath of relief.

It was over. The scene was finally over. He was free from his torment. He had survived. He wouldn’t have to hear anymore—

“ _’While he collected himself on the bed, she rose to her feet and began rummaging through her nightstand_.’”

What.

“’ _Re-emerging with a condom, she returned to her lover on the bed_.’”

No.

It can’t be.

_They weren’t done?!_

Before she could even continue, Byakuya shot up in bed, brain rattling in his head as he stood up far too quickly for comfort.

Toko cut herself off and watched him, puzzled.

“Wh-Where are you going?”

“Shower.”

“B-But—“

“Do you have a problem with that?!”

“N-No, but—“

She was cut off by the harsh slam of the bathroom door. She jolted in her seat at the loud bang. As she dog-eared the page, she heard a lock click.

Toko set the book down.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The Long Chapter™

On the other side of the bathroom door, Byakuya undressed quickly and wrapped a towel around his waist as he ran the shower.

While waiting for the water to warm, he glanced down at his erection tenting the cloth he was wearing over it. Gritting his teeth, he grabbed his glasses off of his face and flung them into the sink. The less he could see, the better.

To say he was embarrassed would be an understatement.

He was humiliated, ashamed. He just needed it gone. He just needed to take a nice, long shower and get rid of it, then he’d be back to normal. He just—

“Master?” Toko knocked at the door he was leaning against. His soul nearly left his body.

“What? What do you want?!”

“I w-want to talk to you…”

“I’m clearly busy at the moment!” He snapped.

“I know, but…” He could picture her body leaning against the other side of the door, forehead pressed to the wooden panel as she spoke, “I want to discuss the book with you.”

“Well, I don’t.”

“B-But we always—“

“Toko, I demand you leave me alone this instant!”

“But Master—“

“No, Toko! Now, leave!”

But instead of obeying his orders, she remained like the incessant pest she’s always been.

“Please!” She begged, “I want your feedback.”

There was a long pause as Byakuya gaped.

 _Feedback_?

He definitely heard the word ‘feedback.’ She was a writer, she wouldn’t misspeak—

It all hit him at once.

Toko was a writer. A novelist. A _romance_ novelist. An Ultimate Writing Prodigy.

The cogs turned in his brain.

It all made sense. The protagonist being a nervous author who falls head-over-heals in love with some rich assho— _Wait, I’m not_ that _bad_!

He shook his head, refocusing back to the matter at hand.

The book was about them. And he loved every word of it.

After what felt like an eternity, he turned, directly facing the door. He rested his head against it, imagining they were parallel to one another.

“Toko?”

“Y-Yes?”

“…Who wrote that book?”

“Oh, uh…” He sensed her back away.

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

But instead of answering his question, she asked him another question.

“D-Did you like it?”

It was a simple question with a simple yes-or-no answer. But that yes-or-no answer had the potential of opening a world of complications between them.

As much as he should considering it’d make things easier, a ‘no’ answer did not sit right with him. The book was brilliant, with or without a sex-scene. Despite its basic plotline and cliché cast of characters, the author’s method of writing them was captivating. Of course, he liked the book. If there was anything he respected, it was a good piece of literature.

However, saying ‘yes’ would… convolute things. Saying ‘yes’ would not only affirm all the non-sexual things he liked, but all the sexual things he… _really_ liked. A ‘yes’ answer meant that he approved of a scenario in which he and Toko… did those things.

She knocked on the door.

“Did you?”

She wasn’t given a verbal answer.

Instead, she almost fell forward when the door she was leaning against opened very slowly, as if the person opening it was almost hesitant.

Without entering, she eyed the door quizzically.

“M-Master?”

Still no response.

And with a shaky hand, she reached forward and pushed the door opening to find…

No one.

 _Where did he go_?

She took a few short steps inside.

“Um… Master—“

It all happened so quickly that it made her head spin. Once she was beyond the threshold, an arm had reached around the door and grabbed her by the wrist.

As if she blinked and missed it, she heard the door slam shut again when her back pressed up against it. In front of her was a red-faced Byakuya Togami with both of his hands on the door on either side of her, trapping her in place.

He was out of breath and mostly naked apart from the towel that hung around his waist.

“M-M-Ma—“

“Where the hell did you learn how to write like that?”

“Wh-Wh-What do you mean?”

“You know very well what I mean. Answer my question.”

“I-I-I…” She trembled with both fear and arousal at the feeling of his hot breath on her face, “I don’t kn-know… I-It’s my talent. I just thought about it and it just… happened.”

She tried looking into his eyes but he was looking down, actively avoiding her gaze.

“They’re us, aren’t they? Hayata and Kanako?”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. The way her feet shuffled nervously and her knees quivered answered the question for her.

 _Yes_.

“That chapter… is that… what you want?” He asked slowly.

The question was unnecessary. They had known each other for years. He knew very well what the answer to that question was. So, why ask?

Instead of answering, Toko cleared her throat, searching for her voice before turning the question back to him:

“I-I-Is that what _y-you_ want?”

His eyes snapped up to look at her. With a question like that, he expected her expression to be that of perversion. But all he saw was hope in her eyes, which were surprisingly beautiful up close.

“Now, you listen to me. I will make sure no one ever finds your body if anyone ever finds out about this, do you understand me?”

Her eyes were wide at the threat. She wasn’t stupid. She had written this scene about a thousand times. She knew what his threat meant. She knew what was coming next, or rather… _who_ was coming next. She just couldn’t believe it was actually happening to her… with _him_.

She nodded desperately, “Y-Yes, Master… Make me yours… please…!”

“Okay…” He gulped. Then… nothing. He didn’t make any sort of advancement on her. If he was being honest, he was completely at a loss of what he was supposed to do next.

As the seconds passed, he began to panic internally. _God, she was the one who wrote the damn scene. Why couldn’t she initiate it? I’m a noble, she should be working for me_ , Byakuya attempted to rationalize in his head, trying so very hard to convince himself that he wasn’t the fumbling virgin he was.

All he knew was that he couldn’t just do nothing. So, with closed eyes, he reached down and dropped his towel. For the first time in his life, he was completely naked in front of a woman. He never in a million years thought that that woman would be Toko Fukawa.

She glanced down at his hard-on with wide eyes but remained still. Her breath caught in her throat.

“W-W-Wow, Master… Y-You’re just as beautiful as I imagined...”

His cheeks rose with blush.

“Y-Yes, well…”

They were silent once more.

“W-Well, don’t just stand there, d-do something!” He stammered, “S-Suck me or something...”

“O-Oh, uh…”

“What’s the hold up?! I thought you wanted this!”

She reached out, placing her hands flat upon his toned naked chest, “I-I-I-I do! I-It’s just happening so fast! Y-Y-You haven’t even k-kissed me yet.”

His heart stopped. Sure, he was about to give Toko his virginity, but he had to give her his first kiss as well?! He was barely mentally prepared for the first part!

“Oh… I, uh… I suppose… I could… Mmf!”

He abruptly leaned forward and pressed a dry, unceremonious kiss to her lips. It was actually just barely a kiss, but the action made both of their hearts race regardless.

However, once the initial butterflies faded, Toko began to notice how still he was, how his lips remained unmoving against hers. It was like kissing a statue. She briefly wondered if he was still breathing.

She may have still been a virgin in all sense of the word but she at least knew that kissing was supposed to be more… active than this.

When she realized he wasn’t about to start moving on his own, she decided she had no choice but to take matters into her own hands. She repositioned herself, wrapping her arms around his neck like she had written about in the past and tilted her head at an angle until she was comfortable.

She moved her lips against his until they were interlocked, like puzzle pieces. As soon as she was content, she began to experiment, searching for a type of kiss that felt right to her.

Unfortunately, his tension was certainly not helping.

This wasn’t what she was expecting.

She was expecting her Master to be the one to take charge, to own her body like he owned her heart. She expected him to dominate her, be the Master she always referred to him as. She didn’t think she’d have to stop mid-kiss to assure him…

“H-Hey… You c-can relax more…”

As she whispered, she smoothed her hands along his shoulders, calming them down with a mere touch. She felt over the curve of his waist, coaxing him to come a little closer to her, to ease his frozen stature. Once their bodies were flushed against each other, she brought her hands up to his face and began caressing his cheeks with her fingertips.

She watched his eyes flutter closed when her thumb lingered over his bottom lip.

And just like that, she had eased the pressure he had been feeling.

For once in her life, she felt powerful.

“Relax…” Toko murmured once more before closing the distance between their lips.

 _Much better_.

As if by magic, everything had changed. The kiss, although experimental, was satisfying. They moved together, Byakuya following Toko’s lead. The way various moans slipped past his lips only fueled her power.

She could get used to this.

If they hadn’t previously promised to keep this a secret, Byakuya would have been mortified by the fact that he was submitting to her.

God, what was he thinking waiting until his late-20s to experience all this? He should have known it would lead to later embarrassment when his chosen partner most likely knew what they were doing and he didn’t.

However, he couldn’t have expected he’d be kissing and fornicating with someone for reasons other than reproduction.

Regardless, he cursed himself for being so uptight. Plenty of people had thrown themselves at him over the years. He had plenty of chances to get this over with. But now, here he was, moaning like… like some filthy… _slut_ because of how fucking good Toko’s tongue felt moving against his own.

He involuntarily bucked his hips forward, creating friction between his cock and her small frame.

God, he felt vile.

“Mmm… Master… So eager…” He felt her smirk against his lips.

“Mmph… Shut… up…” He growled.

Her lips left his but did not stop kissing him. She began planting kisses to his cheek, jaw-line, neck, shoulder, and ear, noting his reactions to each area to locate a weak spot.

She found one when her tongue curled around the shell of his ear and his entire body jerked.

“…F… uh…” He shuddered, eyes rolling to the back of his head.

As if to put a cherry on top, Toko blew cool air against the area she had licked, causing him to shake violently.

She smiled devilishly at every noise he made. She could feel Genocide Jack thrash against the inner caverns of her mind, desperately wanting a taste of this moment. But she wouldn’t let her. She was the one in control here, of both her and Byakuya, and she wasn’t about to revoke any of that power anytime soon.

Thinking back to various lines of dialogue she had written for many different sex-scenes in her books, she decided to start whispering in his ear. She spoke slowly, controlling her stutter to the best of her ability.

“You love this, don’t you? Being waited on like the noble you are… I’m just a servant to you, aren’t I?”

Byakuya didn’t respond. He was pretty sure he physically couldn’t respond. He felt so weak. All he could do was throw his head back as she scratched down his spine.

“Y-You want me to take care of you?”

He mustered a desperate nod. God, he wished he had the strength to take over, to remind her not to let this power get to her head, but the way her hands felt gripping his ass, pulling him closer and generating more friction between them was too much for him.

“I’ll make sure to pamper you like the king you are.”

She gently nudged him away from her and guided them toward the bedroom. He followed like an obedient dog on an invisible leash, leaving the faucet running in the bathtub. So much for that shower.

Toko guided him onto the bed, encouraging him to lay down and get comfortable. Taking off her glasses first and placing them on the nightstand, she joined him on the bed. Straddling his lap, she continued to work kisses along his neck.

“D-Don’t… leave marks…” He groaned as she sucked on his flesh, “…Not there.”

She gazed at his beautifully screwed-up expression through her lashes.

He only said not to leave bruises on his neck. He didn’t say she couldn’t mark her territory elsewhere.

With that, she worked further down, methodically placing hickeys in areas he could easily cover. Soon enough, his entire torso was littered in constellations of bruises of various shapes, sizes, and colors.

Kissing along his chest, she heard him speak up…

“In... your book… _nnngh_ …”

“…Mmm… Yes?”

“Kanako… _ah_ … she kissed… here…”

He couldn’t say the word. With a red face, Byakuya gestured vaguely to his chest area. Hoping she got the message, he gathered up the strength to make eye-contact with her. What he saw was her smirking, like the cocky bitch she was.

“Where? …Here?” He lapped sloppy kisses to his sternum, “Or… here?” She nipped at an area just below his diaphragm.

“N-No… Toko… _God_ …”

“Show me where, darling. Use me.”

Byakuya jut his bottom lip out. She was really going to make him do it, wasn’t she? Luckily, her conniving smile managed to provoke him just enough. He reached down and clutched her head in his hands, hovering her over his nipple.

“J-Just… do it…” He pouted.

She watched his face. Waiting.

“…please…”

Just what she wanted to hear.

And with that, she latched her mouth right where he wanted her, erecting the bud between her teeth.

He whimpered and writhed beneath her, just like Hayata had in Toko’s book. He never expected that an area that small could make him feel that good when toyed with just right. He couldn’t stop himself from bringing one of his hands up to fiddle with the nipple Toko wasn’t tending to, twisting it between his thumb and index finger.

Toko felt drunk on power.

Being able to act out some of her fantasies, especially on her beloved, did more for her confidence than anything else in the world. She no longer felt ugly. She no longer felt incompetent. For the first time in her life, she felt strong. She felt self-assured. She felt… _sexy_.

It was like none of the bullshit she ever had to endure ever happened.

She never wanted this feeling to go away.

Toko detached from his nipple and looked up. Their eyes met, his hooded desperate eyes with her wild ones.

“Wh-Why did you stop?” He questioned, swallowing hard.

He wasn’t given an answer right away. She was too hypnotized by the way his voice cracked when he spoke to her.

She did that to him.

Grabbing his hand away from his nipple, she brought it to her face and nuzzled herself against his palm lovingly.

He watched her, confused by the gesture until she explained quite simply:

“I… I’m really happy right now…”

Byakuya blinked before looking off to a random corner of the room. _Why am I blushing_?

“Th-That’s good… I suppose…”

“I love you…” She murmured peacefully, eyes closed.

It wasn’t the first time he had heard those words from her. She had been saying them to him for years. Her love for him was not unknown.

He always chalked it up to her infatuation. He was brilliant, wealthy, and prestigious. Of course, she was in love with him. Who wouldn’t be?

However, this felt different.

Before, whenever she professed her love to him, it was always the version of himself he presented to the outside world: The cold, stern, dominant Ultimate Affluent Progeny Byakuya Togami.

But that version of him was not here in this motel room right now. He had let down his guard, to say the least. Hell, he was completely naked and being pleasured by Toko Fukawa. He wasn’t cold, he wasn’t stern, he wasn’t dominant. He was completely relaxed. He was a stranger to his usual self.

She smiled in his hands, relishing in the way his thumb involuntarily stroked her cheek.

“I love you… so much…” She repeated herself.

He bit his lip.

 _God, why am I blushing so much_?!

“I know…”

Within moments, it was almost like they had forgotten what they were previously doing as he watched her relax in his grasp.

She was absolutely blissful. Her cheek felt soft under his touch and her eyelashes danced atop his fingertips. Her smile wasn’t gross or perverted, it was genuine… beautiful.

He was entranced by her.

And he hated it.

Forcing himself to look away, he cleared his throat.

“…Ahem…”

And just like that, the moment was over.

Toko’s eyes snapped open and her smile faded. It was like she just woke up from a nap.

“O-Oh! Uh… S-S-Sorry, Master…”

“I-It’s quite alright.”

Before he could say anything else, Toko took Byakuya’s thumb into her mouth. He blinked. He almost ripped his hand away in disgust until Toko began sucking and licking the digit, lips sliding over it.

He watched intently, lips parted in an ‘o’ shape as she demonstrated what was most likely coming next. His cock twitched in anticipation.

Retracting his thumb from her mouth, she sat up and began disrobing: blazer, tie, skirt…

“Wh-What are you doing?” He asked, voice stopping her.

“T-Taking my clothes off.”

“Why?”

“I… I j-just assumed I c-c-could…”

He bit his lip, unsure how to respond.

“I-I-I can leave them on i-if it makes you uncomfortable.”

She began buttoning her shirt back on but somehow, he managed to speak.

“No!” She stopped at his dissent. Byakuya flushed at how frantic his voice came out. He nervously attempted to adjust the glasses that were not on his face, “I-It’s alright. D-Don’t want your Future Foundation uniform getting dirty.”

She smiled at his blabbering explanation.

“Y-You act like you’ve never seen a woman before, M-Master…” She teased, choosing her words carefully, fueled by the curiosity she’s felt since their awkward first kiss in the bathroom.

“O-Of course, I have! B-But we’ve been very busy with work and I haven’t done this in… a long time.”

Toko raised a skeptical eyebrow. She reached out to grab his hand but he ripped it away from her reach.

“M-Master, i-it’s okay to say you’re a v-virgin, you know? I-It’d make this extra special knowing i-it’s both of our first times.”

“I am not a virgin!” He lied, voice escalating in volume.

Normally, his yelling would cause her to cower away, but she was feeling bold, “Th-Then… W-W-Would you mind letting me go first? I-If you’ve d-done it before, you must be amazing as p-pleasuring a woman.”

He coughed nervously, “I am but—“ He cut himself off, eyes rapidly shifting across the room. He knew what she was doing. She was testing him. He knew she could see right through him. But he’d be damned if he was going to admit he was lying now, “I refuse to do any of the work. I’m the King in this scenario, remember? You’re my servant!”

Toko grew wetter at the statement. Some of her biggest fantasies involving her Master involved copious amounts of role-play. While she knew deep-down he was only making excuses at the moment, being told of her part to play excited her.

“Y-Y-Yes… I’m your servant, Master! Now, give me a command!”

“O-Okay… Finish undressing.”

And so she continued, loosening button after button of her shirt before tossing it haphazardly off the bed. She went to remove her stockings but he placed a hand on her leg.

“Keep those on. I… like them.”

His face was as hot as her skin.

She obeyed her order before moving on to her bra. She looked up at him as if she was awaiting permission. He thought he saw a hint of hesitance in her eyes but decided it was probably nothing. He fiddled with his imaginary glasses again before nodding.

With a relatively slow flick of her wrist, she undid the clasp on her back and slowly let the article drape off of her. Her two small but perky breasts were visible for only a second before she covered them up with her arms.

“W-What are you doing?” He questioned.

“Th-Th-They’re… ugly…”

“Toko, seriously—“

“Th-They’re small and misshapen and when we were little, Jack used to cut them up like sh-she was making fun of me so they have these h-h-hideous scars all over—“

“Let me see.”

“Huh?”

“Let. Me. See. That is an order.”

A few seconds passed before Toko nodded, “O-Okay…” She released her hold and displayed herself to her beloved.

Byakuya wasn’t completely sure how to respond. Yes, they were relatively small and he could definitely see the scars now that she pointed them out, but they weren’t what he’d call ugly or misshapen. They looked normal. Of course, he didn’t have much to compare them to apart from anatomical diagrams displayed in some books he had previously read, but his erection certainly didn’t mind them.

“I-I’m sorry…” She muttered, her earlier confidence dwindling.

Maybe she should have kept her clothes on. With the way she felt now, surely she was killing the mood between the two of them. She was ruining everything. She knew a good mood could never last for her—

Byakuya had sat up. Craning his neck forward, he attached his lips over her nipple, causing her to let out a yelp.

“Wh-Wh-What are you doing?!”

“Mmmph… Wha dosh ih look like?” He spoke with his mouth full.

He licked over her nipples, breathing on them as if to create a perfect contrast of hot and cold sensations. He took everything he had learned from what she had previously been doing to him.

Toko gaped at him, unable to believe her eyes. He was biting and licking and kissing her chest, leaving marks other than scars. She curled an arm over his shoulder and tousled her fingers in his hair and mewled. Her pussy trembled, aching for stimulation.

“M-M-Master… Your tongue… _ah_!”

Byakuya pulled away to switch to her other nipple, a trail of drool bridging from her skin to his bottom lip. He looked like a mess and oh, how she cherished the sight of him, like an animal.

He wrapped his arms around her back to keep her in place before he repeated the process on the other side. She tossed her head back and released a low groan.

“O-Oh, M-Master… You’re t-too good to me…” Her voice shook with every word.

With one more love-bite to her chest, he finally backed away and laid back down.

“Your… breasts… are fine…” He heaved, “Now, carry on.”

A large grin grew on her face, her previous confidence flooding back to her.

She leaned back down and began quickly pressing more desperate kisses along his chest, but now, instead of working aimlessly, she now had a goal of where she wanted her mouth to be.

However, once she got there, she had to pause and take a few deep, relaxing breaths.

 _Okay, I’ve written about this a thousand times. I can do this_ , she hyped herself up.

And with one last glance at her shivering Byakuya, she gripped his member and licked a straight line from base to tip.

He threw his head back and reached out to grip the comforter beneath him.

“Ah! Toko…!”

“I’ve got you, Master…” Toko assured him. She did the same move again and again, getting used to the salty yet addictive taste of the skin of his cock.

Thoughts swirled around in her head. She wondered how good she would be at pleasuring him with her mouth. He was… rather large. Would she be able to fit all of him? Did she have a gag reflex? What does his come taste like?

There was only one way to find out.

With a deep breath, she parted her lips and took the dead of his cock in her mouth, swirling her tongue around it, earning countless groans from her lover. Judging by his reaction, she must’ve been doing something right.

She attempted to take him deeper into her mouth, bobbing her head up and down and applying extra pressure to the underside of his cock with the pad of her tongue. She drew her tongue along every ridge created by his veins, leaving no area untasted.

Once she got the hang of what she was doing, she repositioned herself slightly and attempted to go deeper and deeper until…

Toko abruptly popped off of him, coughing uncontrollably. Clutching her chest, she tried in vain to catch her breath. When she finally stopped gagging and looked up toward him with bleary eyes, his brows were furrowed in concern to her surprise.

“Are… you alright?”

“Y-Yes… s-s-sorry… got…” She cleared her throat, “…c-carried away…”

“W-Well… Be careful,” Her eyes lit up at his expression of worry. He sputtered, “I-I mean, i-it’s not like I expect much from you.”

And just like that, the smile in her eyes faltered, “I know… Let me just—“

She suddenly gripped him with one hand and took him in her mouth again. Working harder but not deeper, her long tongue caressing him just right. His reactions screamed approval.

In all honesty, she was straining herself, but she would never let him know that. She had something to prove. She had to prove she was worthy of having high expectations placed on her by him. She had to prove she could be a good lover to him.

Who knows? If she could manage to woo him with her oral sex skills, who’s to say he wouldn’t fall madly in love with her and let her do this to him again and again and again and again…

“J-Jesus, Toko…” He brought a hand to her hair, following her head as it bobbed on his cock like her life depended on it.

He almost wished she’d slow down so that there’d be less of a chance of him embarrassing himself by finishing early. But he couldn’t bear to tell her to stop with how good she was doing.

Toko wasn’t in any better shape. She wished she could record every single sound he made and fall asleep to them every night. She was pretty sure she could feel dew drops of moisture sliding down her inner thighs.

She _needed_ to be touched.

 So, with a free hand, she reached downward, being extra careful not to slow down her pace as she peeled her panties off to the side. Her fingertips dipped into herself without any coaxing, causing a guttural moan to escape from the back of her throat. The vibration of the sound traveled from her mouth through the length of Byakuya’s cock, causing his legs to shake.

He glanced down at her to see what had changed, to see what had caused him to react to strongly, but when he saw where her hand had gone, he had to look away again because he was sure he would come at the very sight of her.

“Wh… What the hell are you… _ah_ … doing?!”

She popped off of him, using her hand that was holding him to pick up the slack.

“S-Sorry…” She responded, voice low and gravelly.

“D-Don’t… apologize… Keep… going…”

Toko followed her orders and wrapped her lips around him again.

With a few deep breathes to compose himself, Byakuya sat up on his arms and watched her, mesmerized. The way her mouth moved almost expertly over him, the way her hand covered the parts of his cock her mouth couldn’t reach, the way her other hand pleasured herself…

He knew he shouldn’t have looked.

Throwing his head back once more, he groaned, “A-Ah— Toko…”

She glanced up at him but he could not return her gaze considering he was too busy seeing white.

“T-Toko—!”

His entire body tensed as his orgasm erupted through him, the sensation hitting every single one of his nerve-endings. It took all the will-power he had not to thrust his hips forward and fuck her mouth through it.

Toko attempted to swallow as much of him as she could. But when she detached her mouth to breath, an ample amount of his come splattered onto her face.

The sight of her with her fingers inside herself, his come in both her mouth and all over her face, and her lust-blown, tear-filled eyes almost made him pass out. Almost.

Instead, he just collapsed back onto the bed, coming down from his high with big shaky breaths. He threw an arm over his eyes, hoping the darkness would help ease some of the dizziness he felt.

In the meantime, Toko retracted the hand that was holding him as well as the fingers inside of her. Rising to her feet, she quickly skittered off to the bathroom, shutting off the bathroom faucet Byakuya had left on and began cleaning herself up at the sink. When she finally returned, she brought a damp towel for him.

With a blissful smile on her face, she wiped him down. Once she was finished, she tossed the cloth off of the bed and laid down on her back beside him. Not taking her eyes off of him, she crept her hand down once more.

After Byakuya was sure he had come back down to earth, he could faintly hear the sound of her soft sighs beside him. He uncovered his eyes, welcoming the light back into his vision before looking over to find her toying with herself.

He didn’t know what to say. So, he decided not to speak at all. Instead, he slowly rolled over onto his side and placed his hand over hers, his fingers following her movements.

She gasped and bit her lip as their eyes met. Neither of them spoke.

Once he was sure he knew what to do and where to touch, he grasped her hand and removed it from herself, leaving himself enough space to take her place.

Despite being wide open, he felt her contract over his fingers, as if pulling him deeper. He obliged at the unspoken request and dipped his fingers further inside of her soaking wet walls. Her sighs turned to moans, which she concealed with a hand over her mouth.

Their eyes never left each other, her eyes full of adoration and his full of… confusion.

She looked different. But he couldn’t quite figure out why.

He wished she’d remove her hand from over her mouth. Scissoring his fingers inside of her, he searched. Maybe he could make her moan loud enough that she’d lower her hand, give him full access to her lips.

Byakuya wanted to say something… but he was afraid of what he would end up saying if he let himself talk. He was afraid of telling her how beautiful she looked.

Instead, he just fucked her with his hands, hoping that she’d uncover her mouth so he could hear her sigh, see her smile, kiss her lips.

“M… M…”

Almost there. He could sense it. The way she clenched around him, the way her thighs trembled. She was trying to say something.

“…M…”

He licked his lips.

He wanted her.

“…M… M… Ma—“

There it is.

In the exact moment she removed her hand to call out to him, he leaned forward and captured her lips in his. His brows furrowed, savoring the moment, memorizing the shape of her lips.

As if under a spell, she melted into the kiss. She didn’t even care that his fingers had stopped moving inside of her. All she cared about was the fact that he had kissed her on his own accord.

It was the greatest pleasure she felt that night.

They kissed for a long time. Tasting each other, experimenting. Their tongues curled around each other, dancing.

Breathing in each other’s arms and rolling around on the cheap motel bed, they tried out various positions: Her on top of him, him on top of her. No matter what position they were in, they just held each other, kissing until their lips were bruised.

“M-Master…” She sighed into his mouth.

“Bya… kuya…” He corrected her between kisses.

She backed up to look at him quizzically, “Hm?”

But he continued to plant kisses along her jaw-line, “Say… my… name…”

Her heart fluttered, “Okay… Byakuya…”

“Say it… again…”

“K-Kiss me, Byakuya.”

“I am… Again…”

“Touch me, Byakuya.”

Without another word, he adjusted their position, laying her down. With his mouth to her neck, he reached down and did as she asked.

Her legs flew up to wrap around his waist as she scratched down his back.

“Ah… B-B-Byakuya—“

He bit the flesh of her throat, causing her to let out a yelp.

“Oh! Y-Yes… Please keep going…”

He obeyed. Crooking his fingers inside of her, he paid close attention to her reactions. He had known enough about sex education to know that there was a spot inside of her that would cause her to feel substantial amounts of pleasure, so he looked, touching every area he could reach until he felt her body tense and her fingernails dig into his spine.

She shouted his name and he continued to prod that one area, earning more and more affirmative responses from her.

Toko was sure she was seeing stars. Her entire body hummed with intense heat. She shivered at the feeling of her incoming orgasm building up in the pit of her stomach.

“B-Byakuyaaa…”

“What is it?”

“I-I—“

“What?”

“I…” She threw her head back at one particular thrust of his fingers, “Oh! …Love you!”

She moaned obscenely as her orgasm hit. Her pussy throbbed around Byakuya’s fingers and her entire body jolted with what felt like electric shocks. With the hand that wasn’t working inside of her, Byakuya was stroking her hair, shushing her while her orgasm rocked her entire body.

Over time, her limbs began to grow limp. But Byakuya didn’t move. He just remained on top of her, his head resting on her chest, listening.

_Thump, thump, thump._

Byakuya swallowed hard.

He hated the fact that he wanted to fall asleep to the sound of her heartbeat.


	4. Chapter 4

After a few moments, Toko was the first to speak.

“W-Wow, Master… I don’t think I’ve ever… f-felt that good in my life…” She sighed between breaths.

Byakuya didn’t correct her on his name this time. Instead, he reluctantly retracted his fingers from between her legs and sat up.

“Yes, well, I told you I was good at pleasuring women, b-but you should be grateful that I went back on my word and decided to actually do something to you. I was supposed to be the King, remember?” His voice was stern, cold. It made her smile falter.

“O-Oh… Right… Yeah… I r-really appreciate it…” She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and sat up. She reached over to the nightstand to retrieve her glasses, fixing them on her face. With her eye-sight back, she glanced over toward her lover, who was sitting on the edge of the bed with his back to her. She couldn’t help but notice the tension in his shoulders.

Byakuya wasn’t sure how to proceed. They had… done it. Now what? It’s not like they were at their own respective places and could send one another away. They had this room for the night.

Were they supposed to share the bed or was she still going to sleep in the chair for the night? If they did share the bed, would they both sleep naked or would they get dressed first? What about cuddling? No doubt, she’d want to do that, but would he? What about after they wake up? How would they move on from this?

 _Could_ they move on from this?

Could _he_?

His thought process was interrupted by the loud sound of his stomach growling. With red cheeks, he clutched his abdomen uncomfortably.

Behind him, Toko was adjusting her bra back onto herself.

“Hungry?”

“M’fine.”

“Y-You really should eat.”

“Don’t tell me what to do.”

His icy tone caused her brows to furrow. She held up her hands as if to calm him, but he wouldn’t even look at her, “I’m s-sorry… I wasn’t trying to…” She bit her lip and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. It wasn’t too late for dinner, “Th-There’s a restaurant down the road, m-maybe we could—”

“I’m not leaving,” He wouldn’t even let her finish. It wasn’t because he wasn’t hungry and that dining out didn’t sound good, it was that he didn’t want to be seen out with her.

With how their night had gone, there’s no doubt that people would see them together and assume they were romantically-involved. Toko would probably exchange far too many flirty glances and cling all over him and Byakuya… well, Byakuya probably wouldn’t have the strength to stop her.

He winced at the thought of going out on a date with her and enjoying himself. God, what the fuck was wrong with him? He spent years hating her, the way she followed him around, her borderline obsession with him being a constant thorn in his side.

Why the fuck was he thinking about her like that? Why did he want to kiss her? And hold her? And sleep with her? Why did he never want this night to end?

She had spent years trying to win him over. Had she won?

Byakuya wished he had time, to ignore her, let these initial feelings of… _blegh_ … puppy-love subside. He only felt this because they had made lo— had sex and that’s it. She hadn’t won a single thing.

The feeling of her arms wrapping around him and her lips kissing the back of his neck felt… far too warm.

“Byakuya…”

“Don’t call me that.”

“Wh-Why not?”

He forced himself to stand, leaving her alone, half-dressed, rejected on the bed behind him.

“Wh-Where are you going?” She called out to him.

“Shower.”

“Bya— Master, wai—”

But he was long gone, bathroom door once again slammed in her face, followed shortly by the sound of the tub running again.

Toko sighed, swallowing back tears.

“I’m sorry…” She whispered to no one. _I’m_ _sorry_.

On the other side of the door, Byakuya stepped into the shower. He didn’t care that the water wasn’t warm yet. Any sort of physical discomfort was better than the unfamiliar fluttering in the pit of his stomach. He pressed his head against the tile wall and clenched his eyes shut.

It felt like an eternity, just standing there under the running water, thinking. Maybe… Just maybe the water would wash away everything: All of the memories of that night, all of the intrusive images of Toko that were not inherently platonic, everything. He cranked up the heat until it was scalding, letting it burn his skin.

He wanted to scream. He felt like he was losing himself, everything he had built himself up to be, all because of one woman. He was supposed to be strong, resilient, but his heart was mere putty in her hands.

Byakuya clenched his hands into fists and cursed, “Fuck…” Digging crescent-shaped indents into his palms with his nails, he cursed once more, “Fuck!”

He wondered if she had heard him out there, if she knew what was going through his mind. She had been able to tear down his walls and read him like a book thus far, who’s to say she wasn’t celebrating her victory right now?

Worrying his bottom lip between his teeth, he glanced down at his feet. He watched the way the water spiraled before sinking down the drain. He was so embarrassed. He wished she could melt and float down the drain as well so that he wouldn’t have to face her again.

But he had to. He could spend hours in that shower, but he’d eventually have to leave, whether it be because of the cold water or the check-out time the next morning.

After thirty minutes, he finally stood up straight and shut off the water. He retrieved his glasses out of the sink and fixed them onto his face. Grabbing the towel he had worn before all of this off of the floor and wrapping it around his waist, he exited the bathroom to find a fully-clothed Toko sitting on the bed, surrounded by food.

“What’s all this?”

“Y-You said you didn’t want to leave so I went and asked for c-carry out…”

He blinked.

Judging by the way his heart skipped a beat within his chest, this act of generosity certainly wasn’t helping his internal conflict. He tore his eyes away and began getting dressed.

“How much was all this?”

“I-I-It’s on me… It’s an apology.”

Byakuya paused, “For what?”

“F-For upsetting you in a-a-any way.”

“I…” He snapped his mouth shut before starting over, “Don’t worry about it,” He mumbled.

“You’re mad, aren’t you? That we did that? Y-You hate me…”

The last statement wasn’t a question. Byakuya clenched his jaw. _Shut up_.

“I m-made a mistake reading that b-book to you. I-I-I knew I was going to have to read that scene out loud to you and I m-made you uncomfortable. I sh-shouldn’t have done that, I m-messed up!”

His knuckles turned white. _Shut_. _Up_.

“And now y-y-y-you hate me! I probably wasn’t e-e-even that good! I—”

“Shut up, Toko!”

His voice echoed throughout the room. Her silent tears streamed down her cheeks as she watched him in shock. Byakuya took a few relaxing breaths, calming himself down before…

“…Thank you.”

“Huh?”

“Thank you… for the food… for tonight… thank you.”

“Y-Y-You don’t… hate me?”

“…No.”

Toko rose to her feet and smiled, approaching him as she spoke, “O-Oh, Master… I-I’m so glad you don’t h-hate me for what I did. I l-love you so much, I w-wouldn’t know what t-to do if you—”

And just like earlier, Byakuya grabbed her wristed and pulled her body until she was pinned against the wall.

“Maste—”

With a hand to her chin, he tilted her head up and brought their lips together for a tender kiss. Once it was over, she stared at him with stars in her eyes.

“What… was that for?”

Byakuya closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to her own, just breathing.

His pulse relaxed.

 _Thump_... _Thump_...... _Thump_.........

“…Can we eat now? I’m famished?”


End file.
